"I have paid the bills, and the horses are ready," he said to Dick, in a low tone. "Let us lose no time in getting out of the city and territory of Frankfort." "What is the matter?" asked Dick. "In the street, awhile ago, I saw Wedeker, who always bears the Landgrave's important despatches, ride up, on a foaming horse, to a house that he almost broke his way into, he was in so great a hurry. I asked a passer-by what house it was. It was that of the Landgrave's Frankfort resident. Wedeker is doubtless straight from Cassel, with orders to have you held in Frankfort; and in a very short time, if the resident can have his way with the authorities, the city guard will be on the hunt for us." "Let us go, then. This running away from authorities seems to have become a fixed habit of mine," said Dick, giving his hand to Catherine. In a few minutes the three fugitives rode westward through the Mainz gate, Dick giving a sigh of relief as they emerged to the open suburb bordering the river Main. "Evidently no orders concerning us have yet reached the gates," he said, looking back at the stolid guard they had just passed. "We are not yet out of the territory appertaining to the city of Frankfort," said Gerard. "And if we get out of it," said Dick, "we shall have to look out for this Wedeker, I suppose, until the last foot of German soil is behind us." "Probably," replied Gerard, "but we have the start of Wedeker, and, as the local authorities will nowhere send their troops or police out of their own territory, he must travel alone much of the time. If he should come up to us alone, between one town and another--" "Some one else would subsequently have the honor of carrying the Landgrave's important despatches," put in Dick. "We ought to have taken fresh horses, Gerard. Catherine's and mine are almost run out. They have done incredible service already." A quarter of an hour later Catherine's mount staggered, stumbled, and lay panting on its side. Its rider slid from the saddle in time to escape injury. Gerard and Dick came to a quick stop. "My beast is fresh," said Gerard. "You'd best ride behind me." Dick got off his own horse, and assisted Catherine upon Gerard's. Then he remounted his own; but he had no sooner done so than the animal sank under him, the last bit of strength having passed from its trembling limbs. "The deuce!" exclaimed Dick. "I imagine your beast is hardly fresh enough to carry three, Gerard?" Gerard laughed, in spite of this setback, at the droll manner in which Dick asked this question. Then Dick turned his eyes back towards Frankfort, took on a peculiar smile, and said, in the coolest and mildest of voices: "It is a pity,--because I see a number of soldiers or police riding out of the gate we rode through a few minutes ago." Gerard looked around, and turned pale. "My God!" said he. "It is the city guard! And don't you recognize Wedeker by his uniform, with the officer at their head?"